If you are looking for something unusual this Christmas then the latest offering from Heston Blumenthal could be for you. He has created a mince pie that smells of pine when it is heated up. The pies which have recently gone on sale at Waitrose are expected to be very popular this Christmas. The pies contain a sachet of sugar which has been infused in pine oil. Once this sugar comes into contact with the hot pie the aroma is released. They are priced at £3.29 for six if you want to give them a try.

If you find that the avocados normally available in the supermarket are a little on the small side then these giant avocados could be just the thing. Much larger than the size we are used to seeing in our supermarket, these are about the size of a melon. They will be available from Waitrose priced at £4.99. Personally I’m not sure I could use it all before it started to go off, I guess you must really need to like avocado.

I have seen many bizarre outfits and costumes for pets in the past but I don’t think I have come across any wigs before. A US based wig maker is now making wigs for dogs. Customers can pay around £35 to have their dog dressed up to look like Sarah Palin, Madonna or Elvis. They do look a little bit silly.

If you are not very adventurous when ordering a curry and tend to go with a mild korma, then it seems you are not alone. Research by Patak’s has found that nine out of ten Brits prefer a korma and are too scared to try hotter curries such as a Vindaloo. Although 73% of adults do like a curry it seems we are still very cautious with our choices, the Bhuna, another fairly mild dish is another firm favourite with the British public. Only 10% of people who were surveyed liked a curry that was hot and 3% liked their curry flaming hot. Personally I tend to go for medium to hot dishes but I do try to choose something new every time I order if I can, just to add a little variety.

A Rare seahorse has recently been found in the River Thames suggesting that there could be a colony present there. The short-snouted seahorse (pictured) was discovered in the river at Greenwich. Although they are usually found along the south coat this is the furthest upriver that they have been found. The one which was found was a juvenile measuring just 5cm long which strongly suggests a breeding colony could be present in the river.

The recent warm weather has been good for rare moths with experts saying it has been one of the best migrations for insects in years. This article claims that hundreds of rare moths have arrived in the UK including many varieties which are usually found in the Mediterranean. Among the species which have been found are the flame brocade moth which is usually found in Spain and France. The death’s head hawk moth has also been found, as have large numbers of vestal moths (pictured) and crimson speckled moths. I have noticed an unusual number of moths this year but I must admit to not paying much attention as to what kind they are. I will make a point of going moth hunting one evening and see what I can spot.

This article claims that the average Briton owns 80 books we have never read and that we purchase them simply to look more intelligent. The research carried out by Lindeman’s wine found that 70% of the books in the average bookcase remain unread and that many are there simply for display purposes. 57% of people make sure that the books they have on display are literary classics even if they have never read them. 47% of people, however, prefer reading trashy novels that they would not put on display. I wonder who was surveyed in this research. Personally my bookshelves have a mixture of classics and sci. fi. Whilst I am not ashamed for any of the books to be on display, trashy or otherwise I can honestly say I have read every book at least once and many even the classics have been read on multiple occasions.

This is interesting its a so called “smart pill” that could help in diagnosing the causes of IBS. The capsule which is swallowed is designed to pass through the digestive system analysing details as it goes. It relays information to a monitor which is worn on the patients wrist. The device looks at aspects such as acidity, pressure and temperature in the colon in order to assess how well it is functioning. The information could help patients who have been diagnosed with IBS, a label which often covers a wide variety of stomach disorders that are often never really properly identified or treated. At £1,750 including consultation fees the SmartPill system is certainly not cheap so would be a little out of my price range but it does seem like a good idea.

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